petersen



(No Model.) v C. J. PETERSEN.

SUSPENSION DEVICE'. No. 330,616. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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Wim we ea Il'nrrno raras i i ArnNT OFFICEO CHARLES J. PETERSEN, OF PORT CHESTER, NEW YORK.

SUSPENSION DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 330,616, dated November 17, 1885.

Application filed May 28, 18H5.

To all whom it may concern:

yBe it known that I, CHARLES J. PETERsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Chester,in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suspension Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in suspension devices for lamps, flower-baskets, bird-cages,and the like; and it consists in the combination of a rotary gravitating drum and stationary brake-shoe, and,also, in the combination of a stationary brake-shoe, a gravitat-V ing -drum normally in contact with the brakeshoe, and means for throwing the drum out of contact with the brake-shoe. The gravitating drum is provided with several grooves or speeds, and is raised by means of a lever, one arm of which carries a pulley which engages the drum, the other arm being actuated by a clearing cord or chain attached to the drum, while the lamp or other article is suspended from the drum by cords or chains,in the usual manner, and the clearing-cord is actuated by a lever attached to the bracket of the suspension device, or in any other suitable manner, all of which is more fully pointed out in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end View of my improved suspension device applied to suspending lamps, showing'the parts when the bracket carrying the lamp is drawn down. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof in the plane y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is another end View taken opposite. from the view in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section in the plane y y', Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a face view on a smaller scale than the preceding gures,showing the device complete. Fig. 6 is a sectional face view, and Fig. 7 a transverse section, of a modification. Fig. 8 is a sectional face view of another modiication.

Similarletters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letterA designates the drum,which is provided with three speeds or grooves,a b c, for the reception of two suspension cords or chains, B C, and the clearing cord or chain D. This drum is not fixed centrally-that is to say, it is free to move to a certain extent in a vertical plane-and is sub- Serial No. 166,990. (No model.)

jected to the action of the spiral spring E, which is coiled within the central portion of the same and fastened at one end to a pintle, d, secured in the frame F, while its other end is attached to the drum at e by any suitable means, so that when thelamp is drawn downward the spring is wound up,and its tendency will be to rotate the drum in the opposite direction, as in the ordinary devices of this kind.

In order to prevent the return motion of the drum, due to the action of the spring, as described, I employ a brake-shoe, G, which remains stationary, and is best formed integral with the frame F.

In the example shown in Figs. l to 4 of the drawings the drum A is guided between rollers J J', and it bears by its inherent gravity upon the brake-shoe. If desired, however, it may be provided with a slot embracing the pintle d, and permitting the drum to bear down upon the brake-shoe; or it may be arranged as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The bracket H, Fig. 5, or other device for carrying the lamp, is connected with the gravitating drum A by the suspension cords or chains B C, of which the chain B passes from the bracket over a guide-pulley, I, Fig. 3, which rotates with its spindle f, the latter having suitable bearings in the casing, and the other suspension cord or chain, C, passes over asimilar guide-pulley, I', which can likewise rotate with its spindle f, Fig. 2, having bearings in the casing, and also over a second pulley, f2, rotating on a suitable pintle secured to the frame. After leaving the pulley I', the cord or chain O passes through suitable apertures formed in the brake-shoe G.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings the guiderollers J J are loosely mounted on the spindles f f', and they engage with a ange, A, of the drum and prevent the'latter from moving to either side. The suspension cords or chains pass from their respective guide-pulleys I I to the drum A. The former, B,is secured to the same at g in the speed or groove a,and the latter, C, at g in the groove b. In order to make as small a protuberance as possible at the points of fasten- IOO ing of the-se cords,I slot the drum transversely at the said points and secure the cords to screws,which pass longitudinally through the slots and lie wholly within the periphery of the body of the drum; but it is evident that any other means can be employed for this purpose.

It will be observed from the drawings that the dange A between the two speeds or grooves a bis somewhat larger in diameter than the remaining anges on the drum, and this iiangeis the one engaged by the pulleys J J', before described, whereby the remaining flanges are kept clear of the various pulleys situated on the spindles ff.

It is obvious that the weight of the bracket and lamp, which acts directly on the drum through the medium 'of the suspension cords or chains B C, will keep the same pressed against the brake-shoe G, and owing to this frictional contact the lamp isheld in place, and it is not moved upward by the action of the spring until the gravitating drum A is raised to clear said brake-shoe. To accomplish this latter purpose I employ a curved lever, L, which is fulcrumed to the casing at i, Fig. 2, and one arm,j, of which is provided with a small pulley, L', the groove of which engages the edge of the flange A of the drum, while its other arm, j,is provided with a small pulley, Lz, over which passes the clearing chain or cord D, Fig. 5, which is secured to the drum at g2 in the same manner as the suspension-cords, and is attached to a lever, Z, pivoted to the bracket or to some similar device, so that when the said clearing-cord is drawn downward the pulley Il and the arms j of the lever L will be depressed and the arm j will raise the drum clear of the brake-shoe G, and then the position of the lamp can be vertically adj Listed at pleasure. When the cord D is released, the drum A will return to its normal poSition-that is to say, will rest again on the brake-shoe-and the lamp is held in the position to which it has been moved.

It will be observed that the drum A snugly lits to the sides of the frame, so thatit cannot move sidewise when raised from the brake G, and also that the somewhat wedge-shaped edge of the flange A will always enter the groove formed in the brake-shoe G, whereby the greatestpossible amount of friction is obtained.

The object of my invention is to produce a suspension device in which the use of springpressed brakes is omitted, the latter being liable at any time to fail or to get out of order. Instead of securing the square ends of the pin d in the frame F, as shown in Fig. 4, Ican secure said pin in arms ja, which are pivoted to the lever L, (see Figs. 6 and 7,) and which extend up between the frame and the drum, Fig. 7. ln this case t-he drum revolves loosely on the pin d, and the guide JJ can be left off. When the clearing-cord D is pulled down, the drum is lifted clear of the brake-shoe by the action-of the arms j3 on the pin d.

By referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the lever Z is made in the form of a bellcrank lever which has its fulcrum on the pin Z. On the bracket H is rigidly secured a handle, Z2. By grasping this handle and the downwardly-projecting arm of the lever l with the hand, the clearing-cord is pulled down,and the lamp can be readily adjusted in the required position.

It is obvious that in some cases my device can be used with a single suspension-cord, and that it is applicable for suspending other articles besides lamps-as, for instance, {lowerbaskets, bird-cages, and the like. The clearing-cordl D, instead of being wound upon the drum A, may be secured to the end of the lever L, or it may be otherwise arranged so that by pulling it the drum A is raised out of contact with the brake-shoe. For instance, said cord can be connected to the ends of the pin d and run therefrom over guides secured to the frame, as indicated in Fig. 8.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a suspension device, the combination A of the frame or support, the stationary brakeshoe secured to said frame, the gravitating spring-impelled drum mounted loosely in the frame above the brake-shoe, the suspensioncord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing therefrom to the article to be support-V ed, a clearing device, a clearing-cord engaging both the gravitating drum and the clearing device, and a guide for said clearing-cord, substantially as described.

2. In a suspension device, the combination of the frame or support, the stationary brakeshoe secured to said frame, the gravitating springimpelled drum mounted loosely in the frame above the brake-shoe, the supensioncord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing therefrom to the article to be supported, the clearing-cord engaging the gravitating drum, and a guide for said clearing-cord 1ocated above the point at which the clearingcord engages the drum, substantially as described.

3. In a suspension device, the combination of the frame or support, the stationary brakeshoe secured to said frame, the gravitating spring-impelled drum mounted loosely lin the frame above the brake-shoe, the suspensioncord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing therefrom to the article to be supported, the clearing-lever mounted on the frame and provided with aroller engaging the gravitating drum, and the clearing-cord engaging said lever, substantially as described.

4. In a suspension device, the combination of the frame or support, the stationary brakeshoe secured to said frame, the gravitating spring-impelled drum mounted loosely in the frame above the brake-shoe, the suspensioncord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing therefrom to the article to be supported, the clearing-lever mounted on the frame and provided with a roller engaging the gravitating drum, the guide on said lever, and the 'Ilo clearing cord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing outward therefrom over the guide on the clearing-lever, substantially as described.

5. In a suspension device, the combination of the fra-me or support, the stationary brakeshoe secured to said frame, the gravitating springimpelled drum mounted loosely in the frame above the brake-shoe, the bracket H, the suspension-cords wound upon the gravitating drum and passing therefrom to the supporting-bracket H, the clearing-lever mounted on the frame and provided with a roller engaging the gravitating drum, the clearing-cord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing outward therefrom over a guide on the clearing-lever, and the lever Z, mounted on the bracket H and connected to the clearingcord, substantially as described.

6. In a suspension device, the combination of the frame or support, the stationary brakeshoe secured to said frame, the gravitating spring-impelled drum mounted loosely in the frame above the brake-shoe, the supportingbracket H, the suspension-cords wound upon the gravitating drum and passing therefrom to the supporting-bracket H, the clearing-lever mounted on the frame and provided with a roller engaging the gravitating drum,the clearing-oord wound upon the gravitating drum and passing outward therefrom over a guide 

